Kidder



(No Model.)

J;T.GARDNERQ BOX FASTENEB.

Nq. 414,635. Patented Nov. 5, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. GARDNER, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR TO SAMUEL KIDDER, TRUSTEE,

OF MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOX-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 414,635, dated November5, 1889. Application filed June 29, 1889. Serial No. 316,071 (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN T. GARDNER, of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Box-Fastener,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective showing thepreferred form of my new box-fastener in use;

IO Fig. 2, a sectional View on line 2 :2 of Fig. 1, showing the membersof this form of my new box-fastener; Fig. 3, a section on line 3 3 ofFig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan of one form of one of the interlocking pinsused in my new box- I 5 fastener. Fig. 5 shows end views of the pinshown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan of the corner-piece hereinafterdescribed. Fig. 7 is a sectional View illustrating a modification.

My invention consists, mainly, in the combination of a piece connectingthe lid and a side of the receptacle with pins which interlock withinthe box to secure the corner-piece in place.

In the drawings, ais the lid, and a a side of a receptacle; 1), a piece,ordinarilyof sheet materialsay strong paper; I), a pin provided withprojections 1, and b a pin formed with spring-lips 2. Corner-piece b hasholes b I) through it, hole I) being coincident with hole a through lida, and hole 17 being coincident with hole a through side a when thecorner-piece is in place-that is, when it extends from lid ato side a.Pins b b are formed with heads sufficiently large to pre- 3 5 vent thepins from slipping through the holes in the corner-piece. The holes bb*, when the corner-piece is of paper, are best re-enforced as shown,and as will be readily understood by all familiar with ordinaryshipping-tags. The corner-piece I), which is a feature of my invention,can be utilized as a shipping-tag, if desired.

To use my box-fastener, the corner-piece b is applied so that the pins bb may be passed through the holes 6 b a a". Pin 1) is forced between thespring-lips 2 2 of pin b and the spring-lips engage the projections 1 onpin 1), and the pins are thereby interlocked within the box, out of thereach of meddlers, so firmly that it is next to impossi ble to separatethem while the box is shut, and especially without breaking thecornerpiece b. To open the box, the corner-piece b is cut. Theinterlocked pins are then readily separated by separating thespring-lips 2 sufficiently to release the pin 1). Pin 11 is best madetubular and of thin sheet metal slotted lengthwise to form the lips 2 2,and that wall of the projections 1 which engages lips 2 2 should be atright angles to the 1011- gitudinal axis of the pin 1) to give the bestbearing-surface.

My new box-fastener is admirably adapted for use on boxes in whichbeverages, fruits, eggs, and other articles of consumption aretransported.

My new fastener cannot be unlocked without destroying a visible part ofthe lock, and consequently handlers of boxes provided with my fastenerswill be less liable to meddle with the contents of the boxes, and theftswill be more easily traced, as carriers will not be likely to receivefrom connecting lines boxes whose locks have been broken.

- A pin provided with spring-lips 2 2 or their equivalent is anoth erfeature of my invention.

Of course the construction above explained may be Varied in many wayswithout departing from the spirit of my invention, and in Fig. 7 I showa modification of my lock. In

this case a tape connects the tag or cornerpiece to the pin b, and thehead 12 of pin 1) is consequently dispensed with, the function of thetape and head being the same-that is, to keep the corner-piece snugagainst the surface of the lid or side a.

What I claim isn l. The combination of lid 0, having a hole a? throughit, and side to, having a hole 6& through it, with corner-piece b andinterlocking pins 1) 6 substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of corner-piece I), having holes 19 19 through it,with interlocking pins 12' Z1 substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

JOHN T. GARDNER.

\Vitnesses:

A. O. FELLows, EDWARD S. BEACH.

